


The Wolf and the Lion

by AetherBunny



Category: Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Genre: Drabble, F/M, Unrequited Love, minor language warning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-29
Updated: 2012-08-29
Packaged: 2017-11-13 03:40:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/499062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AetherBunny/pseuds/AetherBunny
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>But there was a difference between pining for the most beautiful woman in the city while in your blues, and keeping watch for that same woman so she could get an hour or so of fitful rest. He had to fight the screaming urge to curl up next to her to steady her when she flinched  and clutched in her sleep. </p>
<p>Someone mentioned they had no seen any Miranda(Talia)/Blake fics... so I decided to rectify that.</p>
<p>Title taken from an Aesop Fable of the same name that is more fitting the more you think about it. Which character is the lamb, the wolf, or the lion is up to you.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Wolf and the Lion

They insisted someone was with her at all times. For Gordon its a sense of duty, she is a beautiful young woman and their most valuable chess piece. She must be protected. Fox was paternal, she had no family in Gotham and everyone deserves a little human kindness. 

For Blake, it's his job. 

It's not that he does not care, in fact he cares too much. The cliche in it all made him grit his teeth.

Miranda Tate had been in Gotham as long as he'd been a cop. He saw her at numerous functions. Radiant, smiling, never too good to stop and thank the people working behind the scenes. It took no time at all before he was smitten.

But there was a difference between pining for the most beautiful woman in the city while in your blues, and keeping watch for that same woman so she could get an hour or so of fitful rest. He had to fight the screaming urge to curl up next to her to steady her when she flinched and clutched in her sleep. 

The cop in him said it was unprofessional, the man in him wanted to tell the cop to fuck off. 

It wasn't fair.

Then there was that one horrible afternoon they lost her. Gordon came back pale as death and said they had her. She had never made it in front of Crane, Bane's men took her before she could. Blake knew he wouldn't kill her, but he suspected he might do worse.

She reappeared the next day, late in the afternoon. She was just sitting on the steps of his apartment. She did not look fragile, no she never did, just small. Small and so very tired. Of course he let her in.

To her credit she waited until he put things in order before kissing him. She was frighteningly quiet. The only noise she had made was a small pleased sound when his brain finally caught up and he wrapped his arms around her. 

She was hungry and insistent against him, like a woman trying to forget she had spent a night with the devil. It might have been his imagination but Blake swore he could smell him on her. He was seconds from crushing her to him in a stupidly possessive gesture. 

But no, he was there for *her*, she could take whatever she needed. 

He knew about her and Bruce, of course he did, but he had been getting hand-me-downs all his life. The difference was, when they came from Bruce Wayne they were still pretty spectacular. 

Quite frankly he was dumbstruck. He did not ask for it or even so much as hint that he would do anything at all she asked. Then again she was probably used to that kind of thing, she had the most powerful man in Gotham eating out of the palm of her hand. 

It was fast and desperate and nearly fully clothed. And it was perfect. 

Blake is sure, if you ask anyone about that one enduring face that lives in the back of their dreams, everyone has one. But few people on earth are ever lucky enough to get even the ghost of a chance to fulfill that dream. 

He can't quite grasp the idea that for once in his life he was in the right place at the right time. The bomb could have gone off right then and he would have died the happiest man on the planet. She even kissed him one more time before rising, stretching, adjusting her clothing, and asking delicately about coffee.

He made her a cup before taking her back to their base of operations.

A few days later when the shit really hit the fan Blake could have shot himself. Then again she had everyone fooled. Still a very small part of him was selfishly pleased Bruce nor Bane crushed him into the pavement for what he'd done. 

He'd danced with death and came out even more alive in the end.


End file.
